Reference albums for mixing from Home Recording for Dummies

I finished Home Recording for Dummies in March, but I wasn't done with it yet.

In the chapter on mixing (song order, spacing, balancing), Jeff Strong gave a list of examples of well-mixed albums. I felt duty-bound to listen to them all.

That probably wasn't the best approach. Going over the list, it appears to be an attempt to cover a wide variety of artists and genres. A better approach might be listening to Mutations by Beck and then listening to other Beck albums. What stands out about that particular mix?

(I believe that the inclusion of S&M by Metallica is not just to represent metal, but also to represent live/concert albums.)

I may at some point decide to go back and listen to multiple albums from a particular artist on that list. If I do, it will most likely be Los Lobos, because I was unfamiliar with Kiko but enjoyed it, and I haven't listened to very much by them. It seems like it would have the highest payoff from a pure listening standpoint, but where I also might get more insights about mixing.

As it is, I don't regret the listening because I got other things from it. 

There was a lot that was unfamiliar, mixed in with some familiar.

I resisted listening to Marilyn Manson, but even that was not too terrible (though I don't anticipate doing it again any time soon). 

Otherwise, it reminds me of this other article I shared recently from Esquire: 

https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a63107453/how-to-find-new-music-30s/

I have definitely been in musical ruts before. That changed dramatically in 2012, leading to me listening to all kinds of different music and reviewing over 600 bands. It was an amazing time, sometimes magical and always interesting.

About five years later I didn't have time to keep it (or much else) up and then the pandemic stopped concerts for a while. 

I did not end up quite in another rut, but it might have been getting closer if not for the daily songs. 

Currently working my way backwards through hits, but also frequently reading about music and then doing more listening based on that, things stay pretty interesting.

Maybe they will even get magical again.

Anyway, this was Strong's list:  

Mutations by Beck
Burn to Shine by Ben Harper
Fundamental by Bonnie Raitt
Ultra by Depeche Mode
2001 by Dr. Dre
Ten New Songs by Leonard Cohen
Kiko by Los Lobos
Joshua Judges Ruth by Lyle Lovett
On How Life Is by Macy Gray
Mechanical Animals by Marilyn Manson
S&M by Metallica
Return of Saturn by No Doubt
Come Away With Me by Norah Jones
Yield by Pearl Jam
So by Peter Gabriel
Surfacing by Sarah McLachlan
Two Against Nature by Steely Dan
Brand New Day by Sting